The Marriage Contract
by fanta-faerie
Summary: Aislinn is a hopeless case. She’s seventeen, unmarried, and has no proposals in the horizon. So when the infamous Sirius Black offers a lesson on how to catch a man, she can’t help but accept. However, this Marriage Contract is more than what it seems..
1. Of Large Heads and Loud Mouths

"---and down at the races this past Saturday I saw the most magnificent horse, chestnut with a gold--yes, Miss Reynolds, _what _is the problem?" A very irritated Sirius Black asked tersely.

"Oh nothing." The aforementioned Aislinn said sweetly. "I was just hoping you wouldn't mind moving your infuriatingly large head out of my way."

"Excuse me?" He asked icily. "I rather believe that it's your abnormally loud mouth that's interrupting our conversation." He gestured towards the tall and very handsome black haired man standing in front of him.

"A conversation about horses is worth interrupting." She shot back witheringly. "I sincerely doubt that Mister Potter was unhappy to have it stopped."

"Oh really?" He snarled.

"Really." She growled, standing up to face him. They were standing nose to nose, her in a pale peach dress, cut just low enough to reveal a bit of cleavage, and he in the suit and vest appropriate for Almacks. With her dark brown hair and flashing purple eyes she seemed much taller than her rather measly 5'4 stature, while he, slouched as he was, seemed to be around 5'9, where, in reality, he was almost six feet tall.

"Aislinn." Emma said sharply. "Sit down! You're causing a scene."

As if finally realizing where exactly she was, Aislinn took a quick glance around and blushed furiously at the curious looks being darted their way. "You'll pay for this, Black." She hissed under her breath, grabbing a corner of her dress with a hand, intending to sweep away to the other side of the dance hall.

Unfortunately, _he _grabbed her wrist, effectively impairing her plan to dramatically leave. "And why on earth should _I _pay?" He snapped. "You're the one who insulted me!"

"Padfoot." James sighed. "Leave it. You don't want to get booted out like last week."

"I was simply a little over-intoxicated." Sirius said stiffly, drawing himself up straight. "They had no right to throw me out."

"I rather think that if a patron of Almack's started singing and dancing the waltz with a wine bottle, while steadily removing the clothes he had on, they would throw him out as fast as they could." A voice came mildly from behind them.

"Remus!" Aislinn said with relief. "Finally. Tell this idiot to let go of my wrist."

Remus simply looked at him, and Sirius dropped it as if he had been burned.

"Now." Aislinn said haughtily. "If you two gentleman will excuse us, we must be going."

As they moved towards the dance floor, she heard Sirius mutter, "That was actually rather rude."

"Well," Remus said, amused. "She wasn't wrong."

"Moony..."

Hiding her giggle behind her matching peach fan, Aislinn turned to her friends, the beautiful belle of society, Miss Emma Samuels and Miss Jodi Evans, the richest young lady in London. "I think that went rather well, don't you?"

Emma rolled her eyes and snapped, "You know perfectly well that did _not _go well! Aislinn, when will you learn that these encounters with Black will never lead to anything good?"

"Oh please," She sniffed. "I learned that quite a while ago."

"Then why do you even bother?" Emma cried exasperatedly. "I mean," She said, lowering her voice after glancing around. "He's a worthless idiot, we all know that."

Jodi blinked her large brown eyes up at the both of them, her voice sweet and innocent. "Yes, Aislinn, I agree with her. I suggest we just avoid him in the future." She told them earnestly.

Stifling a sound of annoyance, Aislinn threw her fan down on the nearest velvet covered chair. "I know, I know. Will you both stop nagging?"

After a quick glance around, Emma daintily picked up her skirts and settled gracefully in a chair. "We're not nagging. We're trying to save your marriage prospects. Which, at this point, do _not _look good, no matter how much you might deny it."

"Oh yes, that is true." Jodi nodded, plopping down in a chair herself.

With an infuriated sigh, Aislinn also took her place in the middle of the two and leaned back, not bothering to place her dance card in front of her, as tradition dictated. She narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of Black already in the middle of a dance with a beautiful black-haired girl, who certainly couldn't be more than fifteen.

In fact, Aislinn knew quite well her marriage prospects weren't doing too well. While Emma might have had, in reality, quite a temper, and Jodi her messy streak, Aislinn was simply a hotpot of undesirable traits. For one, while Emma might have been able to hide her temper in order to land a good match, Aislinn had no such luck. Her temper burst out of her whenever it felt like it, and when it did, it really was somewhat deadly. Another problem was perhaps, her biting tongue. That was another thing she absolutely couldn't control, no matter how much her mother told her off for it.

However, the one quality of hers that practically decimated her hopes for a good marriage were something that was visible no matter how hard anyone tried: her freckles. She was cursed with them, it was true. They weren't large, or extraordinarily bright, by any means, but they were there, and no matter how much she stayed out of the sun, and how much pure white cream she slathered over her face, those dratted spots just wouldn't disappear. And since fair, creamy skin was one of the things wanted for every girl of marriageable age, she knew perfectly well that she was doomed.

However, that didn't mean she was just going to sit down and accept her fate.

There was a very good chance that her older sister, Mary, was going to end up a spinster, and Aislinn had no intentions of there being two old maids in the Reynolds household.

"Would you like to dance?" A handomse blond man bowed low to Emma.

She smiled prettily up at him, all signs of a scowl disappearing. "Why yes, I would love to." She daintily placed her perfectly manicured hand in his and he led her away, to dance the promenade.

Within another few moments, Jodi was also scooped up by a suitor and Aislinn was left alone...again.

With a sigh, she looked around and realized that there was no man in Almack's who was willing to give this particular dance to her.

So, to save her pride, she carefully climbed to her feet, unconsciously brushing at her skirts and made her way to the door of Almacks. Signaling to her mother, she swept out the door and fetched her coat from the boy in charge of the coat room. Dropping an extra coin into his hand, she nodded for him to call the carriage.

In another moment her mother joined her, shaking off warm goodbyes from her numerous friends. "Ready to leave already, dear?" Her mother asked sarcastically. "It's only been an hour or so."

Ignoring her completely, Aislinn climbed into the carriage with the help of their footman, shivering slightly in the cold night air. Once inside, she wrapped her coat around her tightly and stared out the window as the carriage jolted into movement, rattling over the cobblestones.

And as the starry night reflected in her purple eyes, she wondered and worried, as she did every moment of her life, about what was to happen next.

**----------------------**

**Lol, so I know it's not a GREAT beginning, but hey, I needed to get a lot of the formalities in. :) I really really hope that you guys will review, because, like I have said numerous times, I LIVE OFF OF THEM. :D**

**So please read and review!**

**Fanta-Faerie**


	2. Of Falling in Ponds and Hmm

Aislinn woke up to screaming and shouting. Yawning, she stretched and flopped back into her swan feathered-silk-pillows, listening to the yells from below.

"---it's _black _tea! Why on earth is it _black_? It should be _brown _like _normal _tea!" The oh-so-dulcet tones of her mother came from below.

"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am, so sorry ma'am." She heard a maid say, her fright obvious even from two stories above.

Rolling her eyes, Aislinn lay in bed for a few more moments, admiring the way the sunlight shone just so through the frosted windows, illuminating the little pink rose wallpaper. Then, realizing that it was past noon, she clambered out of bed, clutching her dark blue dressing gown to her chest as she made her way to the small room next to hers, complete with a claw-footed tub and a pretty little thing called a sink.

After calling her maid, Frey, to help her get dressed, she sat in front of her mirror, on a little plush velvet chair, and contemplated what to wear later. After all, today was the day she was going out on a carriage ride with the very handsome and _very _rich Earl of Hampshire, Hugo Williams. She needed to look her best, for sure...if she played her cards right, she might, with luck, end up with a marriage proposal by the end of the month.

"...we can_not _have incompetent maids around this house, do you understand?"

Then again, with a mother like hers, the possibility of that happening grew less by the mere second.

However, with Frey's help, she managed to pick out a gown suitable for an afternoon ride, a pretty blue slip of a thing, made of a fine gossamer with silver embroidery around the edges. After about another fifteen minutes of cursing whomever it was who invented the corset, Aislinn was finally ready to head downstairs.

Slipping quietly past the room in which the poor maid was still being heavily berated, Aislinn padded to the dining hall, and upon seeing that the table had long since been cleared, made her way to the kitchen, intending to grab a bite or two of toast and sausage.

But when she passed the front foyer of the house, she saw something that made her heart plummet, straight to the ground. Hugo Williams calling card was already placed in the front tray, indicating that not only had he already come, but that he had already left.

Cursing herself for her laziness in not getting up, no matter how late they had been out the previous night, Aislinn called the butler to her.

"Nicholas, has Lord William already been here?" She asked, praying that she had been mistaken.

"I am most sorry, my lady, but he has." He apologized, bowing low. "He came at just about noon to pick you up. Upon knowing that you were still...unavailable, he left his card, and said that he would return in about an hour."

Aislinn practically fell to the floor in relief. Perhaps that wedding in May might happen after all.

She was just about to keep on her way to the kitchen when she stopped and turned around. "Wait, Nicholas...how much longer do I have then?"

Nicholas had opened his mouth to reply, but right then, a knock was heard on the door, answering her question for her. Flustered and blushing, she beat Nicholas to the door, a rather unladylike thing to do, and immediately apologized to Hugo Williams.

"Oh, Lord Williams, I apologize most profusely, you see, I had a rather late night, and--"

"No, no, no, it's quite all right." He laughed heartily. "I suppose I called too early."

Blushing furiously, Aislinn stayed quiet, her purple eyes focused clearly on the ground.

"Well then, shall we?" He asked gallantly, holding out an arm.

"...I _still _do _not _understand how you could have made _black _tea when I specifically asked for _brown! _And to add to _that _just _look _at this rug! The dust..." Shrieks were heard from the other room.

Wincing slightly, Aislinn took his proffered arm and practically dragged him out of the house. No point in keeping him there long enough to meet her mother...that alone might ruin any chances of a marriage!

Once they were comfortably settled inside the carriage, she turned to him, watching his large, muscular arm whip the horses once to get them started. Though she flinched at the sound of the whip cracking, the horses started up without a problem, and they were soon riding through the town.

"Do you have any particular place in mind, my lady?" Hugo asked her courteously.

"Oh, I was wondering if we might visit Deer Park." She said, making her voice soft and light. "It's been quite a while since I've been there."

"Certainly." He smiled down at her.

Inside her head, Aislinn was throwing a ball at the small victory.

Once they reached the wooded park, Aislinn waited for Hugh to dismount and open the door for her until stepping daintily out. Or, at least, it was meant to be dainty...and it would have been if the edge of her dress hadn't caught on the corner of the carriage.

Pulling herself together after the clumsy fall, she brushed her skirts as Hugh gallantly looked elsewhere. Just as she was about to take his arm, however, she heard a snort from another carriage.

"I don't suppose you could dismount from something so simple as a carriage without falling all over yourself, Miss Reynolds?" Sirius Black laughed unkindly, holding the door open for woman in his carriage. A rather pretty woman, Aislinn noted with disgust.

"Well, at least I can manage to hold on to a man for more than a day...unlike you and your many lady friends." She replied snarkily, turning to Hugh. "Come, Lord Williams. I'm sure you woudl rather not associate with such people."

Hugh simply chuckled, tipped his hat to Black and moved off with her.

To her retreating back, she heard Black call, "I would watch out if I were you, sir. Lady Reynolds has a tongue more bitter than sweet."

Rolling her eyes, Aislinn started to lead Hugh to the pond.

"Aren't they just adorable?" She smiled, pointing towards the ducks.

"Eh, yes, charming." He said distractedly.

Ruffling through her matching blue purse, she found a bit of duck food that she had left over from her last visit to the pond and as she threw the bits of dried bread towards the ducks, they started waddling in her direction. "Oh, how sweet!" She cried, as one of the littler gray ones looked up at her with inquisitive eyes.

"Uh, don't you think they might...perhaps be getting a little too close?" Hugh asked nervously, backing away a step.

"Oh, don't be silly." Aislinn said, smiling up at him. She bent down and carefully lifted a little duckling, not bigger than her hand, and held it up to his face, the soft feathers tickling her palms.

"Oh Good Lord." He said, not even bothering to disguise the repulsion and fear on his face. "Get that thing away from me!"

Hurt, Aislinn took a step back, only to be tripped by the mother to the little duckling, obviously worried as to the reason why her offspring was suddenly suspended four feet above her head.

And when Aislinn tripped, she fell backward, and when she fell backward, she failed to remember what had been behind her....which had been, of course, the pond.

With an almighty splash, Aislinn fell into the pond, sinking beneath the weeds and the mud, choking on water. She was in desperate need of air, and flailed her arms about, trying to reach the surface of the pond.

Unfortunatley, she had never learned to swim, despite the numerous lessons her older sister and she had had from their uncle.

Suddenly she felt a hand grasp hold of the skirt of her dress and pull her in an upwards direction and she was suddenly _above _the water, covered in mud and drenched to the core.

Coughing, she looked up, intending to give Lord Hugh a worshipful glance and perhaps salvage their relationship, but instead of the pleasant blue eyes of the handsome lord, she met the not so pleasant gray ones of...Lord Black.

Hmm.

Sputtering in indignation, she yanked her skirt out of his hands, all too aware of the looks being directed towards them.

No doubt they would make society headlines by the afternoon post.

"I would thank you to stay out of my business, Black!" She hissed, water dripping from her hair.

"Not of course, that I expected a thank you after saving your life." He said sarcastically, splashing out of the water to stand at the pond's edge.

"Please!" She snorted, hands on her hips. "You didn't save my life! You just jumped in after me for no reason I can fathom!"

His eyes flashed with anger, and in a trice he was back in the water with her, gripping her forearm. "Well at least I jumped in after you, as opposed to that idiot of a man who ran away in terror because of a few ducks!" He said, yanking her up.

With an enraged shriek, Aislinn pulled away and looked about, ready to meet the eyes of the lord, but all she could see of him was a tiny, tiny speck in the distance, one little duckling still following him.

Seeing this sight, one that, admittedly, more than one person was laughing at, she deflated a little and sagged back into the water, her flimsy blue dress clinging to her body in a somewhat provocative manner.

Seeing her obvious defeat, Sirius sighed and held out a hand. "Come." He said grudgingly. "You will want to get out of the water. Otherwise you might end up with a cold."

Looking around, and realizing that no-one else seemed ready to come to her rescue, she took his hand and allowed herself to be led out of the pond.

Standing at the edge, still dripping, she looked up at him out of the corner of her eye, noticing, but not commenting on the very well-defined chest that he seemed to have under the now see-through white shirt.

"Thanks." She muttered.

He raised an eyebrow and didn't reply.

After a moment, Aislinn couldn't resist. "Well, at the very least you could say 'You're welcome'!" She huffed.

He sighed again and waved a hand carelessly to tell the girl he had been with to grab a blanket.

"You know what you need, Reynolds?" He asked, turning to face her.

"What?" Her eyes narrowed. "If you say one of those new-fangled plastic surgeons, I swear on the Lord Almighty that--"

"A romance advisor." He said, cutting her off.

She was quite effectively, as he had no doubt intended, struck dumb.

"Wh-what?" She stuttered.

"A romance adviser." He said matter-of-factly, taking the blanket the young girl offered him and mopping his face. "So what do you say?"

**----**

**LOL. I'm quite liking where this is going...even if it's much longer than the other chapter. Or is it just me? :P Oh, and no, sorry, there won't be any magic in this story, (obviously, I had hoped) but it will be good! Promise! So please leave a review so that I can get better if it sucks right now. :( Thanks!  
**

**Fanta-Faerie**


	3. Of Tailors and Curses

A fuming Aislinn sat in the carriage that was taking her to her tailor three days later.

The nerve of the man! A romance adviser indeed. If there was anyone in London who needed a romance adviser it most certainly wasn't her! It would be...it would be...well...oh dear.

But blast it all anyway! The man had no shame! There she was, sopping wet, covered in mud, with more than her pride severely bruised, and what were the words that came out of his mouth?

_"You know what you need? A romance advisor." _

She snorted and crossed her arms, looking out the window, barely even noticing the two obviously orphan children playing on the streets.

After all, she was perfectly capable of catching a man.

She just hadn't yet, because...well, because none of them were to her liking. Yes, that was it, that was it perfectly. She simply hadn't liked any of the men that she had seen at all. So then what was the point of going out of her way to catch one? After all, they were all dimwits weren't they?

Except for Lord Valing. He, of course wasn't one. And the small fact that her mother had arranged for him to come for dinner that night with his family probably wouldn't have hurt either.

She would show that Black.

She could catch him, and have a marriage proposal by the end of the week, she was sure of it.

After all, her name was Aislinn Reynolds, was it not?

The carriage pulled up to the tailor's shop and, graciously accepting her coachman's hand, Aislinn climbed down, her lavender skirts swishing deliciously around her legs. As she entered into the dimly lit shop, her mind was still whirling with thoughts of Valing, Black and how to catch a man, so filled, in fact, that she didn't notice the hand that came whumping down on her shoulder until she felt the heavy weight almost cause her to fall.

She whirled around, one hand already half raised into a fist and met, of course, the devil eyes of Sirius Black.

"Please, Reynolds, don't even make me laugh." He chuckled, noting her fist. "You couldn't hurt me if you tried."

She smiled sweetly up at him, her fist unclenching as she stepped closer to him. "Oh of course, you big strong man, you. I couldn't hurt you here-" She poked his chest. "-but I most certainly could give you a nice hard kick right in the sweet spot."

The amusement in his eyes dimmed a bit, but he simply rolled his eyes and gestured to the front of the store. "After you, m'lady." He said, his voice devoid of emotion.

She sniffed, another round beautifully, if not painfully, won, and primly made her way to where the tailor was measuring a bolt of cloth.

"Ohhh, Miss Reynolds!" The tailor cried, jumping up immediately. "You are here for the rose pink, am I correct?"

She smiled besottedly at him, knowing perfectly well that the tailor fancied her, thereby assuring her the best dresses with the best prices. "Yes, Paul, I am. I don't suppose it's quite finished yet?"

"Oh of course it is, for you m'lady." He said with a bright grin. "If you would kindly wait for just a moment while I go to fetch it?"

"Of course." She smiled as he backed out of the room with a bow.

"I sincerely doubt that there is anything that boy wouldn't do for you." A snide voice came from behind her.

"Well Black, considering all the idiots you yourself seem to fancy, I wouldn't say that you have the best taste either." She shot back, not even turning around.

"He's a boy."

"He's a _tailor_."

"So you would marry a tailor?"

"Who I marry is none of your business, Black!"

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really!"

"And why is that?"

"Because you have nothing to do with me!"

"Oh really?"

"Yes, re--arrgh! You're such an infuriating prig, Black!" She shouted, giving up and throwing her hands in the air.

He laughed, obviously pleased at inciting such a response from her. "I know." He smirked. "So did you give any thought to my previous offer?" He asked.

"What, of that advice nonsense?" She snapped. "No, not at all."

"I suggest you do." He told her, suddenly serious. "Otherwise you might just find yourself without a husband...ever."

"Excuse me!" She gasped, her eyes flashing. "I would rather have no husband at all than a husband gained by _your _advice!"

Black opened his mouth to respond, his face suddenly not joking at all, but--

"Miss, is the dress to your liking?" Paul's voice hurriedly cut in.

"Oh yes, it's beautiful." She said coldly, grabbing the dress without even looking at it. With a sniff and a toss of her perfectly coiffed hair, Aislinn marched out of the shop...or at least, tried to, but unfortunately, she was rudely jerked to a halt by a hand grabbing her arm.

"That color doesn't suit you." Black said abruptly. "A green will look much better with your eyes."

"Mr. Black!" A scandalized Paul cried, hurrying forward.

"What do you know?" Aislinn cried, yanking it back. "You don't know anything!"

"I know a lot more than you think I do." He said coolly, releasing her arm. "And while we're at it, I suggest you keep your, ah, _catches_ away from me." He threw a quick glare at the frantic Paul.

Trembling from rage, Aislinn drew herself up to her maximum height, which, admittedly, wasn't much. "I would thank you with all my heart to stay out of my life and my business, Black." She hissed. "And any thought of ever, _ever _taking you up on that horrible offer has been completely driven out of my head by your actions."

She straightened her dress and patted her hair, and then marched out of the shop to the waiting carriage. And with one foot in the warmth of the little box, and one hand in the coachman's, she turned and looked at him.

"Have a horrible day, Mister Black. Goodness knows you deserve it."

---

Aislinn waited for a moment on the stoop of the doorway, and then the door opened to her house.

"Is something wrong?" She asked Nicholas as she tentatively stepped into the quiet of the house. "It's rather...erm, quiet."

"Well..." Nicholas squirmed uncomfortably.

"Oh dear." She sighed, handing her fan and the dress package to him. "Mother had another fit? Who did she fire this time?"

"It wasn't a servant that she had the fit with." Nicholas muttered, taking them. "It was Loragdajdf."

"Excuse me?" Aislinn blinked. "Who?"

"Lord...Valing. And...his family." He mumbled, wincing.

"You've got...you _must _be joking." Aislinn said disbelievingly. "Not even my mother would be so idiotically stupid...oh no. Oh no. Oh no, no, no."

Nicholas nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Aislinn closed her eyes and slumped back against the door.

It looked as if she might have to take that idiot Black up on his offer.

"Nick?"

"Yes, madam?"

"Please send Lord Sirius Black a note. Tell him that I...that I..._apologize _for my earlier actions, and, erm..."

"Yes?"

"Would like to take him up on his damned offer."

"....Very good m'lady."

**----  
****Yeah, yeah, it's short, but hey! I'm trying. :) Don't worry, it's going to get better and better because the story's only just started...thanks to everyone who's reviewed and PM'd me. :D Ya'll make my day. **

**So once again, please read and reveiw!!!!**

**Fanta-Faerie**


	4. Of Accidents and Annoyances

"This is absolute nonsense, Black, and you know it."

"I have no idea what you are talking about Reynolds, and if you wish me to _continue_, you will keep that large opening you call a mouth, shut."

"Then please, enlighten me, oh wise teacher, why I need to _balance a book on my head to catch a man_!" Aislinn growled, finally snapping and throwing the book on the floor.

Sirius sighed and, leaning down, carefully picked up the book and dusted it off, placing it back on the shelf of his bookcase. "Because, oh unattractive student, you need to first learn how to walk like a proper woman before you can hope to have any man look at you with a hint of desire."

"I can walk like a proper woman!" Aislinn sputtered, throwing her hands up in the air. "It's not like I slouch around like Marlene McKinnon with my back all hunched over!"

Sirius closed his eyes for a moment, his hand covering his mouth, and Aislinn had a sneaking suspicion that he was trying to hide a grin. "Well, while it might be true that you don't resemble the Hunchback of Notre Dame just yet," He composed himself. "You still need to work on your walk-your arms wave about like a fish out of water, your hips fly from side to side like those women in brothels, and those feet!" He sighed despairingly.

Blushing, Aislinn moved her skirts to cover her feet. "I...there is nothing wrong with my feet!" She said defensively. "They are perfectly normal, thank you very much!"

"Oh, yes, of course." He replied witheringly.

"But, well...can't we just move on?" She asked desperately.

He looked at her, the barest glimmer of a smirk on his handsome face as he considered it.

And of course, in the end, he fell to her womanly charms and agreed.

_Not_.

"Look, you place your arms here-" He maneuvered her hands, getting an accidental elbow in the ribs for trying, "-your feet should only be this far apart-keep your head held _up_, you are a woman, remember, not a dog, but then, with that hairstyle-" This time the elbow was not so accidental- "-and for gods sakes, woman!"

He suddenly tried to step back but his legs caught in her skirts, and one of his arms was unfortunately entwined with hers, so instead of the elegant step she was supposed to have taken, the both of them fell backwards on to the floor in an ungainly sprawl, her skirts flying up to very possibly the most embarrassing of places- her _knees_- as his head hit the side of the fireplace rather hard.

There was silence for a moment.

"Um. Sorry?" Aislinn tried.

She started to shrink backwards, however, as Black's head seemed to grow larger and redder at the obvious anger building up inside of it, when, of course, the door to his study opened.

"Mister Black, you have a visitor-oh, it seems I am interrupting something, I will tell her that you are unavailable-" His butler fumbled, reddening at the sight on the floor.

"Wait-"

"No-"

"It's not what you-"

"Oh damn it all-"

"A lady doesn't curse, Reynolds-"

"Like I give a damn, Black-"

"Bane, wait, hold up there for one moment-" Sirius finally untangled himself and leapt to his feet, not even bothering to offer a hand. "Look, tell her that I'm a little busy right now...but for the record, Banes, I would never be so desperate to try to get _this _one. I do believe I've done better."

"Oh, er, well, good day Sir!" Bane finally gave up, practically running out of the room in his haste.

"Oh, Black." Aislinn called sweetly from where she was now standing.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

She moved forward so she was standing directly in front of him. "First off-don't ever call me sweetheart. Second off-" Her eyes suddenly seemed to blaze with a frightening amount of energy. "I do believe that you deserve this."

And with an earth-shattering smack that left a red mark on his face for a day, Aislinnn slapped his straight across the face, huffed up at him for a moment, then collected herself, and primly marched out the door.

After a moment of shock, Sirius leaned out of the room, one hand still holding the door-frame and remarked- "See, Reynolds, at least you finally corrected that walk!"

"I hate you, Black."

**-3333333333333333333333333-**

Aislinn was positively fuming by the time she had reached home, and her foul mood was not improved in the slightest by who she found waiting for her.

"Er, Miss Aislinn, I do believe I should warn you-" Nathaniel started, practically running to keep up with her. "-that Miss Evans is here to call."

She stopped dead in her tracks. "Miss _who_?" She growled, a dangerous look in her eye.

"Miss Evans." He repeated apologetically. "She arrived not a quarter of an hour ago and quite insisted upon waiting for your return."

"Oh damn it all to hell." Aislinn muttered again, and strode straight back downstairs into the calling room, her eyes finally alighting upon a green-clad Lily Evans sitting daintily upon a chair.

Lily Evans was the model of London society- she had it all. The wealth, the good looks, the sometimes too-nice personality...and, of course, the battalion of male idiots that swarmed around her every time she stepped out of her house. The fact that she had red hair made it, if possible, even worse. Red hair was meant to be a curse- every woman's nightmare. Lily Evans turned it into a blessing, topped off with eyes so green, emeralds couldn't compare. It made Aislinn quite sick to think of her. And it didn't help that down in a very secret corner of her heart, Aislinn was...well, jealous.

Who wouldn't be?

The girl was perfect.

And James Potter, _the _James Potter, was head over heels in love with her to boot. Notwithstanding the fact that he was the second most eligible bachelor in London, he worshiped the ground she walked on-literally.

So suffice to say, Aislinn wasn't exactly pleased at the fact that such a model of perfection was sitting in her parlour, sipping out of what looked to be Aislinn's favorite teacup.

But she collected herself enough to say pleasantly-or, at least, to pass for pleasantly- "Good afternoon, Lily, to what may I owe this pleasure?"

Looking up at her out of those startlingly green eyes, Lily Evans carefully set down the cup, dusted off her skirt, and stood.

"Good afternoon, Aislinn. I was simply wondering why I've been hearing rumors that you are courting my fiancee."

* * *

**So er, yeah, it's been what...a year since I updated this? :P Ah, well, what can I say...haha. I agree, the entire story is slightly stupid, pretty well thought out (NOT), and bordering on just plain boring. But I'm having fun writing it, lol, so on it goes! **

**Please review, haha, so that I'll know if I should bother updating this throughout the summer. :]**

**~Fanta-Faerie**


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